QUOTE!

"If death meant just leaving the stage long enough to change costume and come back as a new character...Would you slow down? Or speed up?" — Chuck Palahniuk

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

"Real Hip-Hop Spot Light - Brother Ali!"

I will not say that hip-hop is dead, but it is definitely on life support and has been in ICU for almost 20 years now. If it was anyone else they would have pulled the plug. due to guy's like me and all the other true hip-hop fans we still have a pulse and it's getting stronger. Remember the Kayne 50 battle to sell more disc?! Nice bit of marketing but it also hinted at a shift from gangster rap to a something not as hard! Might be my delusions but it does seem to lend itself to a trend. What most don't realize as they are bopping their heads or racinghome to see flava of love that the flava of love and all the minstrel show rappers are designed to make us less than, to be looked at by others as subhuman.

Hip-hop been tied up in a back room with a logo stuck in it's mouth for a while...MY Ahhhhh-didas...NnnnNiiiikeee! Actually the full quote is by a brilliant songwriter, producer and truth seeker and goes like this...

"...and the music industry mafia is pimping girl power
sniping off their sharp shooter singles from their styrofoam towers
and hip hop is tied up in the back room with a logo stuffed in its mouth cuz the master's tools will never dismantle the master's housebut then

I'm getting away from myself..." -Ani DiFranco

Hip-Hop went from a social vehicle for young angry inner city youths to be heard and an art form to at the best end of the spectrum, entertainment something to dance to commercial to the minstrel show! Now here is where the argument ensues and it truly lies along the lines of art imitating life and vice versa but it really boils down to a way to trivilize the true message and the conciousness behind it!

Is it the rappers fault because the studio heads want something edgy or is it that black people can't rap about nothing but killing other blacks, bitches and hoes. We have seen how the rappers could make a million out of their trunks and the record companies saw it too, but yet it is still a battle to be the hardest, talking about how much stuff and money you have, telling your homies, rivals, the world if ya lucky, not too mention the feds all the rest of your business giving detailed plans on how you get your money. This is something we could go really in depth with and we might as well since I brought this up before we get to Brother Ali and his video I want you to hear Vince Morris's take on hip-hop and just generally black stuff however Vince keeps it real..Real Real! The critique on hip-hop is near the end of the clip but it highlights the issues that I bring up! The rest of the clip smacks true too. one thing we have got to do is start telling ourselves the truth, no matter how painful because until we admit there is a problem then and only then can we take steps to fix that problem...

Vince Morris

The part about black people dancing in every commercial they in! Hilarious! Remember "lyrical genocide"!

However, this is about my man and this track and how hip-hop has really sold out a long time ago. Every know and then some one drops a jewel and when it tells the truth like this track does! Check it out...

Brother Ali - Uncle Sam Goddamn

Haaahaaa shocked me too the first time I saw him after listening to his disc for about a year! Here are the lyrics just in case you didn't catch them in the video and those who are already down can sing along...

Uncle Sam Goddam

Ah,The name of this song is uncle sam goddamnIt's a show tune but the show ain't been written for it yet.Were gonna see if tony Jerome and the band can maybe work this shit out for meAnd straighten me out right quickI like it so far man

Yeah

Come on, lets go

Welcome to the united snakesLand of the thief, home of the slaveGrand imperial guard where the dollar is sacred

Come on lets do this shit for real now

Smoke and mirrors, stripes and starsStoner for the cross in the name of godBloodshed, genocide, rape and fraudWritten to the pages of the law, good lord

The coal cotton and latch key childRan away one day and started acting foulKing of where the wild things are, daddy's proudCause the roman empire done passed it down

Imported and tortured the work forceThey never healed the wounds or shook the curse offNow the grown up goliath nationHoldin open auditions for the part of David, can you feel it?

Nothing can save you, you question the reignYou get rushed in and chained upfists raised but I must be insaneCause I cant figure a single goddamn way to change it

Welcome to the united snakesLand of the thief, home of the slaveGrand imperial guard where the dollar is sacredAnd power is god

Welcome to the united snakesLand of the thief, home of the slaveGrand imperial guard where the dollar is sacredAnd power is god

We all must bow to the fact were lazyThe fuck you obey me and why do you hate meOnly two generations away from theWorlds most despicable slavery trade

Pioneered so many ways to degrade a human beingThat it can't be changed to this dayLegacy so ingrained in the way that we thinkWe no longer need chains to be slaves

Lord it's a shameful displaythe overseers even got raped along the wayCause the children can't escape from the painAnd they're born with the pause and this hatred in their veins

Try and separate a man from his soulYou'll only strengthen him and lose your ownWell shoot that fucker if he walk near the throneRemind him that this is my home (now I'm gone)

Welcome to the united snakesLand of the thief, home of the slaveGrand imperial guard where the dollar is sacredAnd power is god

Welcome to the united snakesLand of the thief, home of the slaveGrand imperial guard where the dollar is sacred

Hold up, gimme one right here

You don't give money to the bumsOn the corner with a sign, bleeding from their gumsTalking about you don't support a crackheadWhat you think happens to the money from yo' taxes

Shit the governments an addictWith a billion dollar a week kill brown people habitAnd even if you aint on the front lineWhen the master yell crunch time you right back at it

You aint look at how you hustling backwardsAnd the end of the year add up what they subtracted3 outta twelve months your salaryPaid for that madness, man that's sadness

Whats left get a big ass plasmaTo see where they made Dan Rather point the damn cameraOnly approved questions get answeredNow stand your ass up for that national anthem

Welcome to the united snakesLand of the thief, home of the slaveGrand imperial guard where the dollar is sacredAnd power is god

Welcome to the united snakesLand of the thief, home of the slaveGrand imperial guard where the dollar is sacredAnd power is god

[instrumental break]

Custom made, the consumer newsKeep saying we're freeBut were all just blue

Regardless of what you hear on the radio and see in the video shows there is still some hip-hop out there and when I find it I will bring it to you!